I have some questions about WITPAE. I'm a fairly new player (bought the game in September). I've done a few things to figure out how the game works:

1) Read the manual cover-to-cover (Sorry Capt. Mandrake, I had to do it); 2) Started a game, Grand Campaign playing as Allies vs. AI; 3) Read the War Room forum cover-to-cover (Whew!)

I'm currently at February 26, 1942. Some things I still need guidance on:

1) I'm not able to make the AE ships reload my Battleships. I have two AEs stationed in Suva (Level 3 port), Pyro (3600 capacity) and Lasser (5400 capacity). Also in port is the USS Mississippi, a New Mexico class BB mounting 14in/45 Mk 7 guns. My understanding is that Lasser alone should be able to rearm the Mississippi. However, they have been together in port for two turns now and it has not rearmed. Currently, all 3 ships are disbanded in port. I have also tried putting one, and both, AEs into a replenishment TF and having the BB be in port or in a surface combat TF. No combination seems to work. The AEs are both fully loaded. What am I missing?

As a side question, if one AE is not large enough to rearm, can stacking two AEs together in one base add up to enough points?

2) Bombardment - When I set a Bombardment TF, on the TF screen there is a setting for bombardment distance, including a "Minimum Distance." What is the function of this setting, and what are the ramifications of using a distance less than minimum?

3) Engineers - I have engineer units of various types in my bases. As many of them are damaged, I would like to rest them so they can recover. If I set the units to Rest Mode, will they still do engineer stuff, like repairing, building forts/ports/airfields, etc.?

4) Shipyards - Do the Allies have the ability to expand shipyard facilities? If so, how is it done? My understanding is that the Japanese side is able to do this....

5) Burma Road - According to the manual, if the appropriate hexes are controlled, 500 supply points/day will flow to China. Is this supply dependent on supply levels in Rangoon or bases along the road, or do the 500 points "magically" appear? What is the best way to distribute those points throughout China? Right now, I have (few) transports and SB-III bombers flying them to one of the rail-connected bases.

6) It's February 26, 1942. I have had a lot of success with surface raids in the Sumatra/Malaysia/Celebes region. Do date, I have killed about: DD 22 PB/SC/E 70 AP 18 AK/AKL 160 Are these numbers enough to have any substantial effect on the Japs' activities? I did some internet research, and one site said the Japs had about 135 destroyers covering the entire war. If so, I've already killed 15% of them, and they are probably not all built yet. Does the 135 number sound right? If so, will a destroyer shortage limit their ability to form combat task forces? They are already sending 40-ship troop convoys with one AG as an escort. (They paid dearly for that, although they got a brigade of troops off first.) They are also operating carriers with one DD as escort (Akagi + Hiryu + 1 DD).

I suspect their AK numbers are upwards of 1000, but really I have no idea what the Japanese order of battle looks like, or the timing of when they are available. As I still hold all of Sumatra and have lost only one base on Java, they will lose more before their invasion bonus runs out.

7) During my surface raids, I made one intercept where I sank a single xAP, resulting in Japanese ground losses of just under 14,000 troops. Yes, that's 3 zeros! I was not aware of any ships that could carry that many people. Does that number sound plausible, or is it likely just Fog of War? I've had three separate instances where I've killed 20,000+ troops, but all were sizable convoys.

8) Can I conduct naval evacuations using submarines? The manual indicates that evacuations can be done by Fast Transport or Amphibious TFs. Subs can carry troops, and I thought I read a post where someone was evacuating by sub.

9) What is AE Tracker? Where do I find it, and how does it work? Is it built into the game, or some separate application?

Again, sorry its so long, but any answers or guidance would be great help.

_____________________________

"It's all according to how your boogaloo situation stands, you understand."

1) I'm not sure. I am a bit confused about that myself. However, replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's will only occur beginning sometime in 1944.

2) The closer the bombardment distance, the more shore battery fire you will receive.

3) Yes, you are correct.

4) No

5) The 500 points "magically" appear at the base in China (don't remember its name). That amount will help with your air basing in the area, and is a good source for supply to air transport onwards, but it really isn't very much for ground combat operations.

6) Sounds like you are kicking butt and putting a real dent in the IJN.

7) Do you remember which AP? The number sounds really high.

8) I believe there are only a very few Allied units which can be transported by sub. I never really tried it, so I'm not sure.

I have some questions about WITPAE. I'm a fairly new player (bought the game in September). I've done a few things to figure out how the game works:

1) Read the manual cover-to-cover (Sorry Capt. Mandrake, I had to do it); 2) Started a game, Grand Campaign playing as Allies vs. AI; 3) Read the War Room forum cover-to-cover (Whew!)

I'm currently at February 26, 1942. Some things I still need guidance on:

1) I'm not able to make the AE ships reload my Battleships. I have two AEs stationed in Suva (Level 3 port), Pyro (3600 capacity) and Lasser (5400 capacity). Also in port is the USS Mississippi, a New Mexico class BB mounting 14in/45 Mk 7 guns. My understanding is that Lasser alone should be able to rearm the Mississippi. However, they have been together in port for two turns now and it has not rearmed. Currently, all 3 ships are disbanded in port. I have also tried putting one, and both, AEs into a replenishment TF and having the BB be in port or in a surface combat TF. No combination seems to work. The AEs are both fully loaded. What am I missing?

As a side question, if one AE is not large enough to rearm, can stacking two AEs together in one base add up to enough points?

2) Bombardment - When I set a Bombardment TF, on the TF screen there is a setting for bombardment distance, including a "Minimum Distance." What is the function of this setting, and what are the ramifications of using a distance less than minimum?

3) Engineers - I have engineer units of various types in my bases. As many of them are damaged, I would like to rest them so they can recover. If I set the units to Rest Mode, will they still do engineer stuff, like repairing, building forts/ports/airfields, etc.?

4) Shipyards - Do the Allies have the ability to expand shipyard facilities? If so, how is it done? My understanding is that the Japanese side is able to do this....

5) Burma Road - According to the manual, if the appropriate hexes are controlled, 500 supply points/day will flow to China. Is this supply dependent on supply levels in Rangoon or bases along the road, or do the 500 points "magically" appear? What is the best way to distribute those points throughout China? Right now, I have (few) transports and SB-III bombers flying them to one of the rail-connected bases.

6) It's February 26, 1942. I have had a lot of success with surface raids in the Sumatra/Malaysia/Celebes region. Do date, I have killed about: DD 22 PB/SC/E 70 AP 18 AK/AKL 160 Are these numbers enough to have any substantial effect on the Japs' activities? I did some internet research, and one site said the Japs had about 135 destroyers covering the entire war. If so, I've already killed 15% of them, and they are probably not all built yet. Does the 135 number sound right? If so, will a destroyer shortage limit their ability to form combat task forces? They are already sending 40-ship troop convoys with one AG as an escort. (They paid dearly for that, although they got a brigade of troops off first.) They are also operating carriers with one DD as escort (Akagi + Hiryu + 1 DD).

I suspect their AK numbers are upwards of 1000, but really I have no idea what the Japanese order of battle looks like, or the timing of when they are available. As I still hold all of Sumatra and have lost only one base on Java, they will lose more before their invasion bonus runs out.

7) During my surface raids, I made one intercept where I sank a single xAP, resulting in Japanese ground losses of just under 14,000 troops. Yes, that's 3 zeros! I was not aware of any ships that could carry that many people. Does that number sound plausible, or is it likely just Fog of War? I've had three separate instances where I've killed 20,000+ troops, but all were sizable convoys.

8) Can I conduct naval evacuations using submarines? The manual indicates that evacuations can be done by Fast Transport or Amphibious TFs. Subs can carry troops, and I thought I read a post where someone was evacuating by sub.

9) What is AE Tracker? Where do I find it, and how does it work? Is it built into the game, or some separate application?

Again, sorry its so long, but any answers or guidance would be great help.

A few answers. Others will join in I'm sure. Many/all of your questions are answered here and there, but as you've done a lot of research I'll see if I can take a swing:

1. AEs/AKEs. Search for Alfred's "Logistics 101" thread and read that. Generally, AE/AKEs need to have supply loaded on themselves, and be disbanded in a port. The loading vessels need to be in a TF, not disbanded. You need to press the load from port button. Ops point limits will apply, so depending on sizes, numbers of AEs, and what you're trying to load it might take more than one turn. Experiment.

2. Bombardment distance is in thousands of yards and is the stand-off range from the beach. If you go in close you will get more rounds on the target, but you may deplete your AA ammo you might need on the way home. At 1000 yds, for example, everything will fire, even the small AA guns. So it's a trade-off.

3. Engineers generally don't work when in Rest mode. There may be an exception, but I don't know of one. Also, many combat LCUs, especially later in the war, have organic engineer devices, so even if LCUs like Seabees are in Rest you may still get some engineer services.

4. Allies can't expand shipyards. But check your scenario and make sure none started out damaged. They can be repaired up to their set limits if damaged.

5. If the Burma Road is open the 500 just appears so far as I recall. Inside China supply flows the same as it does anywhere, influenced by terrain, etc. There just isn't usually very much, and the distances are large. There are a few Chinese cities which produce some LI/HI supply. Use the Industry tab to look this over. Fuel is hard to come by in China though, so LI is what you have mostly. A few Chinese cities also produce "free" supply in small quantities.

6. You're doing very well on DDs. If you want to play as the RL Allies just play. They didn't know how many ships they'd be faicing. If you just have to know, either load Tracker or load a new scenario as the Japanese and take a tour. But you'll only have one first game. I think it's more fun to be in the dark as much as possible.

7. No troop ship carries 14,000 men so far as I recall. The Queen Elizabeth comes close, but nothing the Japanese have is in that class.

8. Can't use subs. Only SST converted subs can carry troops, and they can only carry ones with the paratrooper flag set. I beleive this was adjusted in the recent betas so there is a paratrooper icon, but the underlying code hasn't changed so far as I know. Raider units, which could ride on subs in RL, can't in the game. Essentially Allied subs are not transports to any meaningful extent.

9. Tracker is a stand-alone, fan-created utility which runs on a Java platform. There is a permanent sticky on it in the forum. The home URL to get it and install it is

Installing it, especially in a 64-bit Win7 enviro, can be a little tricky. Damien, one of the developers, is around here all the time and to my knowledge has never failed to get it up and running with a user who was motivated. I use it every turn. It is invaluable for some functions.

I fully expect to be corrected by my peers on perhpas many things I said above. Such is the nature of the game. But these answers should get you started.

8. Any sub with troop and cargo space can carry troops and/or cargo from a friendly port to another friendly port. SSts can carry paratroops from a friendly port to an enemy base and unload. The load and unload rates are very low and almost non-existent at bases you do not have air cover at.

2. Note that if you move in closer, the enemy has a better chance of hitting you and again he can use his small guns. DDs can be damaged and even sunk by small guns returning fire.

ORIGINAL: Dan Nichols ... 2. Note that if you move in closer, the enemy has a better chance of hitting you and again he can use his small guns. DDs can be damaged and even sunk by small guns returning fire.

"However, replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's will only occur beginning sometime in 1944."

Incorrect: replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's AT SEA will only occur beginning sometime in 1944. Prior to that you can replenish naval ammunition from replenishment TFs with AEs (not AKEs)in port hexes. The replenishment TFs do not have to be disbanded for this to happen.

i made the conversions early in my current game, fully meaning to experiment w/ some Makin-style raids, but so far haven't followed thru on my intentions. some reading in previous threads led me to believe the following: 1) SSTs can only load in major ports under air superiority, which i think is a euphemism for 'beyond range of enemy air-search'. 2) so if i loaded up my SSTs at Sydney or Pearl, by the time they'd reached a likely target in CentPac, the troops would be starting to suffer from fatigue/disruption to the point where unloading would be a bad idea. 3) if i did unload them, if the base was defended by anything greater than 2 canoes, my troopers would get waxed due to lack of supply. 4) but if they unloaded into an empty dot-base, they'd surely capture it, but the SSTs wouldn't be able to re-embark them from their lonely coral paradise, which could never possibly fit the bill of being a major port under air superiority. 5) unless i committed some kinda surface TF group (& carrier air-cover) to re-supply and/or evacuate them, but all my stuff is kinda busy w/ major ops, & carriers are either supporting major ops, or upgrading, or repairing damage. 6) so i just can't be arsed to throw a USMC para unit at some random base, just to check out whether or not this SST raider thing is gonna work or not.

"However, replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's will only occur beginning sometime in 1944."

Incorrect: replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's AT SEA will only occur beginning sometime in 1944. Prior to that you can replenish naval ammunition from replenishment TFs with AEs (not AKEs)in port hexes. The replenishment TFs do not have to be disbanded for this to happen.

i made the conversions early in my current game, fully meaning to experiment w/ some Makin-style raids, but so far haven't followed thru on my intentions. some reading in previous threads led me to believe the following: 1) SSTs can only load in major ports under air superiority, which i think is a euphemism for 'beyond range of enemy air-search'. 2) so if i loaded up my SSTs at Sydney or Pearl, by the time they'd reached a likely target in CentPac, the troops would be starting to suffer from fatigue/disruption to the point where unloading would be a bad idea. 3) if i did unload them, if the base was defended by anything greater than 2 canoes, my troopers would get waxed due to lack of supply. 4) but if they unloaded into an empty dot-base, they'd surely capture it, but the SSTs wouldn't be able to re-embark them from their lonely coral paradise, which could never possibly fit the bill of being a major port under air superiority. 5) unless i committed some kinda surface TF group (& carrier air-cover) to re-supply and/or evacuate them, but all my stuff is kinda busy w/ major ops, & carriers are either supporting major ops, or upgrading, or repairing damage. 6) so i just can't be arsed to throw a USMC para unit at some random base, just to check out whether or not this SST raider thing is gonna work or not.

The SST mission is pretty worthless in the game. However, leaving Argonaut alone lets you use the upgraded mines in 1943 (Mk12?) and they are beasts. Don't convert is my recco.

"However, replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's will only occur beginning sometime in 1944."

Incorrect: replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's AT SEA will only occur beginning sometime in 1944. Prior to that you can replenish naval ammunition from replenishment TFs with AEs (not AKEs)in port hexes. The replenishment TFs do not have to be disbanded for this to happen.

"However, replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's will only occur beginning sometime in 1944."

Incorrect: replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's AT SEA will only occur beginning sometime in 1944. Prior to that you can replenish naval ammunition from replenishment TFs with AEs (not AKEs)in port hexes. The replenishment TFs do not have to be disbanded for this to happen.

"However, replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's will only occur beginning sometime in 1944."

Incorrect: replenishment of ammo with replenishment TF's AT SEA will only occur beginning sometime in 1944. Prior to that you can replenish naval ammunition from replenishment TFs with AEs (not AKEs)in port hexes. The replenishment TFs do not have to be disbanded for this to happen.

8. Any sub with troop and cargo space can carry troops and/or cargo from a friendly port to another friendly port.

Ah, you are correct, sir! I think this is such a terrible waste of an offensive asset I never, ever do this mission. Haven't ever since WITP.

Bull,

My lateset game of Babes Ironman has me saddled with a total lack of agressive sub commanders. I have almost a third of the American sub force idled for lack of commanders with aggressiveness above 27....seriously!

I put them to use as supply transports. It's bad enough that most of my fish are duds. I can't see putting an asset at risk when it isn't likely even to engage and try using those duds.

8. Any sub with troop and cargo space can carry troops and/or cargo from a friendly port to another friendly port.

Ah, you are correct, sir! I think this is such a terrible waste of an offensive asset I never, ever do this mission. Haven't ever since WITP.

Bull,

My lateset game of Babes Ironman has me saddled with a total lack of agressive sub commanders. I have almost a third of the American sub force idled for lack of commanders with aggressiveness above 27....seriously!

I put them to use as supply transports. It's bad enough that most of my fish are duds. I can't see putting an asset at risk when it isn't likely even to engage and try using those duds.

My feeling is that 25 supply from A to B isn't worth as much as him seeing a sub icon someplace that makes him react (fuel, system damage, time for his ASW, ops losses for his planes), and even bad COs give good intel.

8. Any sub with troop and cargo space can carry troops and/or cargo from a friendly port to another friendly port.

Ah, you are correct, sir! I think this is such a terrible waste of an offensive asset I never, ever do this mission. Haven't ever since WITP.

Bull,

My lateset game of Babes Ironman has me saddled with a total lack of agressive sub commanders. I have almost a third of the American sub force idled for lack of commanders with aggressiveness above 27....seriously!

I put them to use as supply transports. It's bad enough that most of my fish are duds. I can't see putting an asset at risk when it isn't likely even to engage and try using those duds.

I was wondering if there is a reason why nobody is using Mk 10 mines instead the unreliable Mk 14 torpedo?

I found them useful against AI to channel enemy traffic straight to waiting S-boats and Dutch subs, since convoys will divert away of located minefields. Also mining river hexes -like Mekong river-delta south of Saigon- would almost always have some effect as well as other hexe following the same narrows-rule (such as south of Kobe etc.). At very least, the Mk 10 has no duds.

In my game against QBall he managed to place a Sub commando on SSTs and sent them to conquer an empty base near Sosarbaja in late 42. The base had oilfields that were damaged during the reconquest of the place by a japanese tank rgt. For the death of 60 brave AUS commandos Brad achieved the distruction of 8 oil fields....which cost me 8,000 supplies to repair.... i wouldn't call it a waste of resources!

8. Any sub with troop and cargo space can carry troops and/or cargo from a friendly port to another friendly port. SSts can carry paratroops from a friendly port to an enemy base and unload. The load and unload rates are very low and almost non-existent at bases you do not have air cover at.

2. Note that if you move in closer, the enemy has a better chance of hitting you and again he can use his small guns. DDs can be damaged and even sunk by small guns returning fire.

Hey everyone - Thanks for the responses. I did get the BB to rearm finally, I think I just needed to get the right setup (BB in TF, AE in port). All of the secondary guns and the escort guns were rearmed on the first turn, so maybe there was an issue with not enough rearm points for all weapons? Anyway, it's working now.

Bullwinkle - Good point on the surprise factor. I'll just be pleased someday when the subs can't find any targets....

jeffk3510 - I've thought about the reality thing, but for right now I'm just trying to keep myself afloat. My strategy here is to control the shallows for as long as possible, and I can't let them sail up and sink my ships by air and get away with it just because "they did it wrong." It's unfortunate that the AI operates this way (does it happen often?), but at this point it's either I'm taking unfair advantage or they are. Rest assured AI has well-escorted BBs in the area as well, and I have mines out which don't care about escorts!

As for the madhouse, I'm reading Mandrake v. Nelson's AAR, so my own game pales by comparison. But, still plenty of drama!

_____________________________

"It's all according to how your boogaloo situation stands, you understand."

8. Any sub with troop and cargo space can carry troops and/or cargo from a friendly port to another friendly port.

Ah, you are correct, sir! I think this is such a terrible waste of an offensive asset I never, ever do this mission. Haven't ever since WITP.

Bull,

My lateset game of Babes Ironman has me saddled with a total lack of agressive sub commanders. I have almost a third of the American sub force idled for lack of commanders with aggressiveness above 27....seriously!

I put them to use as supply transports. It's bad enough that most of my fish are duds. I can't see putting an asset at risk when it isn't likely even to engage and try using those duds.

I was wondering if there is a reason why nobody is using Mk 10 mines instead the unreliable Mk 14 torpedo?

I found them useful against AI to channel enemy traffic straight to waiting S-boats and Dutch subs, since convoys will divert away of located minefields. Also mining river hexes -like Mekong river-delta south of Saigon- would almost always have some effect as well as other hexe following the same narrows-rule (such as south of Kobe etc.). At very least, the Mk 10 has no duds.

We do use them. All the "S" boats carry them. If you know something I don't about how to get the Fleet boats to use them instead of the Mk14s I'm all ears.

Those a Mk 10 torpedoes you are talking about, Hans (and not "torpedoes" in the US Civil War vernacular). The Mk10 mines are a different critter entirely - and to my memory we don't get very many of them.